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Obtaining Aus Driving Licence

Obtaining Aus Driving Licence

Old Aug 6th 2011, 9:02 pm
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Default Obtaining Aus Driving Licence

Hi

We are validating our PR Visa in Feb with the intention of making the full move possibly in September 2012. I have been looking on the SA Govt website for information regarding obtaining the Aus driving licence, but it is none to clear. It states that you must obtain the licence within three months of arrival, but doesn't make it clear if that is the permanent move or not. I think it is from the date we first arrive. I mentioned to the other half about getting them while we are there in Feb and he seems to think that we have to surrender our UK licence but that is not my impression. Can anyone clarify please?
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Old Aug 6th 2011, 9:17 pm
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Default Re: Obtaining Aus Driving Licence

Originally Posted by rasen78
Hi

We are validating our PR Visa in Feb with the intention of making the full move possibly in September 2012. I have been looking on the SA Govt website for information regarding obtaining the Aus driving licence, but it is none to clear. It states that you must obtain the licence within three months of arrival, but doesn't make it clear if that is the permanent move or not. I think it is from the date we first arrive. I mentioned to the other half about getting them while we are there in Feb and he seems to think that we have to surrender our UK licence but that is not my impression. Can anyone clarify please?
South Australia may be different, but I didn't have to surrender my UK licence in NSW. Thinking about it logically*, why would they care?



* potential flaw in that argument is that I'm assuming that they would be "Thinking about it logically"
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Old Aug 6th 2011, 9:21 pm
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Default Re: Obtaining Aus Driving Licence

Originally Posted by iamthecreaturefromuranus
South Australia may be different, but I didn't have to surrender my UK licence in NSW. Thinking about it logically*, why would they care?



* potential flaw in that argument is that I'm assuming that they would be "Thinking about it logically"
Probably the same 'logic' himself was thinking of
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Old Aug 7th 2011, 12:34 am
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Default Re: Obtaining Aus Driving Licence

Going by the letter of the law Australia do not have the right to take a licence from another country, it would be theft. However years ago it was common practice for various state transport offices to take the old licences away but I've not heard of it happening for quite a few years now.

I wouldn't bother getting the Aus licence until you move permanently, it's only a case of showing your licence and filling in a form and maybe an eye test (depending which 'official' you get) and being issued with an Aussie one in return. Don't do Medicare either.

You do need to get the Aussie licence within three months when you move over on a PR visa. If you were coming on a Temp you could continue driving on your UK one for the period of your visa.
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Old Aug 7th 2011, 1:02 am
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Default Re: Obtaining Aus Driving Licence

Originally Posted by moneypenny20
Going by the letter of the law Australia do not have the right to take a licence from another country, it would be theft. However years ago it was common practice for various state transport offices to take the old licences away but I've not heard of it happening for quite a few years now.

I wouldn't bother getting the Aus licence until you move permanently, it's only a case of showing your licence and filling in a form and maybe an eye test (depending which 'official' you get) and being issued with an Aussie one in return. Don't do Medicare either.

You do need to get the Aussie licence within three months when you move over on a PR visa. If you were coming on a Temp you could continue driving on your UK one for the period of your visa.
I think they would probably say that exchange is not theft. And as you could obtain the Aus licence without exchanging your foreign licence I think they have a good case.
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Old Aug 7th 2011, 1:05 am
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Default Re: Obtaining Aus Driving Licence

We are not in SA but we did not surrender our UK licences. There is no point doing anything on a validation trip though. Wait until you move.
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Old Aug 7th 2011, 1:28 am
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Default Re: Obtaining Aus Driving Licence

We lived in SA & we didn't have lose our UK driving licence either, but if ur just visiting for validation of your visa you might not be able to obtain ur Licence as you need to provide proof of address.
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Old Aug 7th 2011, 1:30 am
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Default Re: Obtaining Aus Driving Licence

Originally Posted by Rambi
I think they would probably say that exchange is not theft. And as you could obtain the Aus licence without exchanging your foreign licence I think they have a good case.
Do you think they used to keep the old licences on file and would return them if someone said they were moving back to their original country and wanted to hand in their Aussie licence? I would imagine their 'exchange' consisted of the use of a shredder. They used to stamp a big hole in the UK ones and give them back if I remember rightly - that can't be legal, surely?
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Old Aug 7th 2011, 1:50 am
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Default Re: Obtaining Aus Driving Licence

Originally Posted by moneypenny20
Do you think they used to keep the old licences on file and would return them if someone said they were moving back to their original country and wanted to hand in their Aussie licence? I would imagine their 'exchange' consisted of the use of a shredder. They used to stamp a big hole in the UK ones and give them back if I remember rightly - that can't be legal, surely?
They stamped a hole in mine but not in my wife's. I think the original idea of this was to stop people avoiding fines by using their other driving licence. Now with computers in cars it's not needed any more which is why they have stopped defacing them.

I think it's fair exchange. If you don't want your foreign licence adulterated then one can just sit the Aussie test.

It does raise the question of whether a UK licence is still valid in the UK after you have exchanged it (unmolested) for an Aussie one? I don't know.

I know the UK wouldn't recognise my Aussie truck licence if I went back there.
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Old Aug 7th 2011, 8:06 am
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Default Re: Obtaining Aus Driving Licence

Originally Posted by chris and farideh
We lived in SA & we didn't have lose our UK driving licence either, but if ur just visiting for validation of your visa you might not be able to obtain ur Licence as you need to provide proof of address.
That's a good point, thanks

And thanks to everyone else who replied. Will wait till we move then
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Old Aug 7th 2011, 9:50 am
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Default Re: Obtaining Aus Driving Licence

The RTA in North Sydney told me when I got my 457-related licence that my UK one would automatically be cancelled.

I didn't quite believe them so emailed the DVLA who confirmed this to be the case.
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Old Aug 7th 2011, 10:50 am
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Default Re: Obtaining Aus Driving Licence

Originally Posted by Seasider
The RTA in North Sydney told me when I got my 457-related licence that my UK one would automatically be cancelled.

I didn't quite believe them so emailed the DVLA who confirmed this to be the case.
If you tell them you don't have a UK address then it will be cancelled, if they don't know you're not in the UK, it won't be iyswim so possibly you emailing them told them you had left the country.
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Old Aug 7th 2011, 11:56 am
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Default Re: Obtaining Aus Driving Licence

Originally Posted by moneypenny20
If you tell them you don't have a UK address then it will be cancelled, if they don't know you're not in the UK, it won't be iyswim so possibly you emailing them told them you had left the country.
That's not the way it was explained to me by the RTA.

I figured I'd rather know for sure than find out driving in the UK thinking I had a licence, and doing something to find out I do not - especially as my 457 licence expired when I got PR and I haven't got round to replacing it yet. (Haven't driven for years, didn't have a car at all in Singapore and only have the one here - really must get a licence sometime though, in case of emergencies. So I've been saying for over a year...)
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